Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

As part of my 4th grade science expo I'm trying to convert temperature change of my experiment to Celsius Heat Units.

The experiment was to compare motor oils to various cooking oils (e.g. Canola, Corn, Vegetable).

For each we took 100 Milliliters of water starting at 40 degrees and heated it with the same amount of oil (35 drops).

We measured how much each oil would raise the temperature until the flame went out.

Typically, we'd see the temperature increase to around 120 degrees. The average increase was around 80 degrees.

I'd like to convert this change into Volts, but would first need to figure out the Celsius Heat Units of each.

Is this possible based on my approach?

Thank you.

It is possible based off your approach. The conversion formula for converting any Fahrenheit degree value to a Celsius value is (F - 32)x 5/9. So for your temperature increase of 80 degrees, you just have to plug it into the formula. 80 - 32 = 48, x 5 = 240 / 9 = 26.6. So your Celsius temperature is 26.6 degrees. If you need to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, just use (C x 9/5) + 32.
Take care to use order of operations for the Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions and good luck on your expo.
If you need additional help, post a reply and I'll get back to you.

Matt

grigsbyl - I'm having a problem understanding what you want to do here. I understand your experiment in evaluating the energy content of several types of oil that are used to heat water. As you probably know, the “metric” unit for heat capacity is the calorie, defined as the amount of heat needed to raise one gram of water by 1 degree C. I assume you are making your temperature measurements in Celsius, not Fahrenheit. I think the other reply you got was showing you how to make the conversion. To make things convenient, 1 milliliter equals 1 gram of mass. That makes your calculations easier.

My confusion centers around your desire to convert this change in water temperature to volts. Is that so you may read out your results on a voltmeter? Are you trying to build a form of temperature sensor? There are many approaches to that, just let us know what you are trying to accomplish and we can help you further.

Rick Marz